What Would Be Missed
by Leona629
Summary: Toph and Sokka have a conversation the night before the final battle.  For dA's LovingKataangNTokka's "First Kiss" contest.


There was no mystery behind the fact that Sokka couldn't sleep. In less than a day, he and his friends – no, his _family_ – were going to be in the fight of their lives, and the war that had ravaged the world for a hundred years would be decided one way or another. He walked around the edge of the White Lotus' camp, checking that everyone was sleeping and safe.

Satisfied that everyone was alright, the last place he checked was Toph's earth tent. He crouched down to peer inside, and panicked when he saw it was empty. His eyes scanned the camp, desperate for any sign of her.

In the far corner of the camp, away from everyone and everything, a tree with large looming branches stood. And under that tree, also alone, sat a small figure clad in yellow and green.

As he made his way to her, Sokka forced himself to calm down. She'd be able to tell if he was agitated, and he didn't want her upset any more than she may have already been.

"Hey Toph." He sat on the ground next to her. She looked like she had just woken up. Her hair was unbound and fell around her shoulders, her tunic hung loose around her small frame. "You know you should get some sleep soon. We've all got a big day tomorrow."

Toph shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever. I'll sleep when I'm tired."

He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, mimicking her pose. "Can't argue with that logic. But if it's all the same to you, I'm just going to sit with you for a bit."

"Please yourself."

And that's exactly what he did.

"Are you scared?"

Sokka turned his head to face her. He didn't know how to answer that question. He could say no, and try to make her feel better. He could say that it didn't matter, because everything would certainly turn out for the best in the end. He could have said a hundred different things, but he decided the truth would be the best.

"Terrified."

Toph nodded. "Me too." Her voice had dipped to a whisper; he had to strain to hear her. "I don't want to die tomorrow." A single tear traced through the dust and grime on her cheek.

"Hey, hey, don't cry." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You're the great Toph Be Fong, metalbender extraordinaire! Nothing is going to happen to you."

That brought a smile to her face. She reached across his body and punched him in the arm. "And don't you forget it." He didn't move his arm away, so she leaned her head on his shoulder.

They sat together in silence for the better part of an hour. So much went through Sokka's mind. What would happen tomorrow? Would he lose any of his friends? Would Aang defeat the Fire Lord? Would he even be back in time to fight Ozai? What would he do if he lost Suki or Katara or Toph?

He had to stop, or he would drive himself insane.

"What would you miss?"

Sokka jumped at Toph's question. He thought she had fallen asleep beside him. "What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath before continuing. "If we...don't come back tomorrow, would you regret anything? Is there something you would miss doing?"

In any other circumstance, Sokka supposed it would have been an odd question. However, when one is contemplating death, it was a perfectly reasonable thing to think about. "Meat," he answered.

"Meat?"

"Yep, meat. All the hundreds of thousands of juicy and delicious steaks I could have eaten."

Toph faced him, then burst out laughing. "Trust you to miss food."

Sokka joined in her laughter. "Of course I'd miss food! It's just so tasty!" He caught his breath after a few minutes and posed the same question to her. "So what would you miss?"

"Earth Rumble Seven," she answered without hesitation. "I have to regain my title. It's embarrassing to go down as the person who lost to Twinkle Toes."

They laughed again at that. "I'd miss watching you kick more earthbending butt."

"And I guess I'd miss sharing that meat with you." She leaned back against him. Without thinking about it, he held her just a little tighter. It felt good sitting with his best friend, alone in the world. No one, not even Suki, would have been better company. No one understood him like Toph did, and no one really understood the friendship they shared.

"I would miss my dad," he said. He didn't know why he said it. It certainly did kill the cheery conversation they'd shared.

"Believe it or not, I would miss my parents." Toph heaved a deep sigh. "I wouldn't get the opportunity to make things right with them. Does that make sense?"

"Of course it does." Sokka didn't fully understand the dynamic of the relationship between Toph and her parents. The only thing he did know was that she wanted nothing more than to have parents that respected her and were proud of her.

"I would never become a sword master." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't look at me in that tone of face. You asked what I would miss. I would miss becoming a true sword master."

"Well, I would never be able to show the world just what I can do."

"I'd never get married..." His voice trailed off. Every time he thought of getting married, he thought of Suki, but it seemed wrong to say it in front of Toph.

"At least you have someone." She pulled away slightly. Her voice had gone quiet again. "I could die tomorrow, and I've never even been kissed."

Sokka didn't know what to say to that, so he said nothing. Toph didn't elaborate and refused to say anything else on the subject.

Toph stood. "Well, I think that's quite enough of spilling our guts for one evening." She brushed dirt that she couldn't see off the front of her tunic. "We'd better get back to bed."

He nodded to her. "You're right. There's only a few more hours before sunrise." He got to his feet and grabbed her hand before she could leave. "But there is one more thing I'd like to do, if you'll let me."

"What?"

"This," he said, and placed his hands on her cheeks. He tilted her face and brought his lips down to meet hers.

Toph stiffened in his hold, which wasn't entirely unexpected. What _was_ unexpected was the way his arms reached around her small shoulders to hold her closer, the way his hand lingered in the silkiness of her hair, the way his heart pounded in his chest, then way everything about it just felt so..._right_.

He pulled away before he got too carried away – something that wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Toph stood before him, eyes closed, but a shocked look on her face. "Um, yeah," he said, and rubbed the back of his neck.

Toph opened her eyes. She brought her fingers to her lips, obviously not quite believing what had just happened. "Why?" she breathed.

Why indeed? He knew there was a reason, other than the fact that it just felt good to do... "You're my best friend. And should the unthinkable happen tomorrow, I want you to have one less thing to be sorry about missing."

Toph smiled, and not just any smile. It was her genuine smile, the one that she didn't show very often to anyone but him. "Thanks, Sokka. Not that anything is going to happen tomorrow."

"Right. We're all going to be fine."

She nodded. "Come on, let's get some sleep." She walked back to their camp, and he obediently followed.

Sokka didn't know what would come with the sunrise. It was entirely possible that they were going to lose much more than the war. The only thing he did know with absolute certainty was that he was going to protect Toph with everything he had.

After all, a first kiss like that deserved a second one.

* * *

**A/N: So, by some miracle, this little piece won first place in the LovingKataangNTokka group's "First Kiss" contest on dA. **

**For all those wondering, this actually _did _happen in the show, we just weren't shown it. Therefore, it's canon. **


End file.
